Head coach Ruben Amorim argues that altering Man Utd's tactical system due to media noise would have signaled "the finish" for him.
For the first time against Newcastle, Amorim moved away from his usual back three formation with wide defenders and opted to field an traditional four-man defense with two defensive midfielders.
He himself conceded this effectively became a six-man defensive block in the latter phase as his team held on for a victory - securing only their second-ever clean sheet of the campaign.
While he once memorably said that not even the Pope could force him to adjust his approach, Amorim maintains the option to experiment with varied formations has remained part of his strategy.
Yet, he clarifies he could only make the switch when his team were faring at an acceptable level - or else it would look as if he was bowing to external pressure.
"At the time I arrived here last season, I realized perhaps I lacked the personnel to perform effectively in a back three, but it was the commencement of a journey," he commented.
"Our aim was to forge an style. Now is a different moment. We lack a full complement of personnel, and we have to adjust, so they comprehend the reason we are changing.
"The change isn't because of the demands of the media, or the fans.
"Whenever you talk about altering the system constantly, I cannot make a change because the players will think I'm changing because of external voices and I think that is the end for the manager.
"Only when we are getting results in our preferred setup, that becomes the right time to evolve.
"This will help us grow into a more complete squad because when our full complement of personnel are back, we are not planning to use three defenders exclusively."
Squad Issues Persist
With only two wins in eight games before beating Newcastle, it is debatable whether Amorim is right to claim his team have been playing well.
He is, though, working with a depleted roster, with multiple senior players already unavailable for the upcoming fixture against struggling Wolves.
That number will increase if midfielder Mason Mount fails to shake off the injury that forced his exit from the Newcastle game at half-time.
Skipper Bruno Fernandes is among those who will miss the Wolves clash, despite the fact he is reportedly pushing his manager to allow him to return following his muscle injury.
"Fernandes is already saying he needs to train," said Amorim. "But there is no chance he is going to play against Wolves. No chance. You can write that."
Fernandes' Leadership Endures
Nevertheless, the 31-year-old will almost certainly continue to be a prominent presence, as while most unavailable players watch matches from the stands, Fernandes was spotted keeping a close eye on the warm-ups from the mouth of the tunnel before the Newcastle game.
Amorim is sure his leader to continue offering input.
"He is a natural leader," he declared. "He cannot be that guy that when he is not playing, he's not talking and speaking. He's always speaking. That is the reason he's the captain.
"There are negative aspects at times - the way he moves his arms - but he has a lot of strengths. Even after he recovers, he heads to watch the rest of the squad practicing. There are a lot of aspects that go unnoticed.
"I don't know if he desires my position or not, but he's a leader. He is a true captain."
Recovery Schedule for Key Personnel
While the exact date for Fernandes' return - and that of fellow unavailable stars like Kobbie Mainoo, Matthijs de Ligt, and Harry Maguire - is unknown, before the conclusion of January, the club will welcome back Noussair Mazraoui, Amad Diallo, and Bryan Mbeumo from international competition.
